DEFENCE

Armed Forces: Deployment

Pete Wishart: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many  (a) UK troops and  (b) UK civilian personnel are involved in the (i) MONUC, (ii) MINURCAT, (iii) UNAMID, (iv) UNMIL, (v) UNMIS and (vi) UNOCI missions.

Peter Luff: The following table shows the number of UK troops and Ministry of Defence civilian personnel currently involved in the listed United Nations (UN) missions.
	
		
			  Mission:  Number of UK military personnel  Number of MOD civilian personnel 
			 MONUC (UN Mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo) 6 0 
			 MINURCAT (UN Mission in the Central African Republic and Chad) 0 0 
			 UNAMID (UN and African Union Mission in Darfur) 0 0 
			 UNMIL (UN Mission in Lebanon) 0 0 
			 UNMIS (UN Mission in Sudan) 3 0 
			 UNOCI (UN Operation in Cote d'Ivoire) 0 0

Armed Forces: Housing

Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence who is responsible for the maintenance of roads, pavements, draining and lighting on those roads within the Ministry of Defence housing estates at the Colchester Garrison on which houses are now occupied by civilians; and if he will make a statement.

Andrew Robathan: The following list sets out the names of the roads at Colchester Garrison for which the Ministry of Defence is responsible.
	Cottonwood Close
	Ebony Close
	Ilex Close (numbers 102-141 only)
	Beechwood Close
	Hornbeam Close
	Peerswood Road
	Earlswood Way
	Olive Grove
	Fallowfield Road
	Midway Road
	Mareth Road
	Glebe Road (junction with Mareth Road only)
	Holly Close
	Alamein Road
	Anzio Crescent
	Salerno Crescent
	Aisne Road
	Menin Road
	Messines Road
	Mons Road
	St Barbara's Road
	Cambrai Road
	Cassino Road
	Knightsbridge Close
	Rimini Close
	Homefield Road (numbers 21-44 only)
	Leas Road
	Malting Road
	Meadow Road
	St Catherine's Close
	St Michael's Road
	Cottonwood Close
	All other roads are either adopted by the local authority or maintained by private owners.

Armed Forces: Mental Health Services

John Pugh: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what steps his Department takes to assess the mental health of personnel who have served in combat zones  (a) at the time of and  (b) subsequent to discharge.

Andrew Robathan: All armed forces personnel receive a discharge medical assessment 90 days prior to discharge. This detailed examination is undertaken by a doctor and the results are recorded on the individual's F-Med-1 form. This form contains a specific assessment of the mental capacity and emotional stability of the individual. A reassessment is carried out seven days prior to discharge to confirm the record or reflect any further changes.
	A summary of each individual's medical history while in the armed forces, including the results of the discharge medical, is recorded on an F-Med-133 form which is given to the individual to pass on to their civilian general practitioner (GP). The F-Med-133 also contains information on how the GP can gain access to the individual's complete service medical records if required.
	Following discharge, ex-service personnel with concerns about their mental health should obtain treatment through the NHS. The Department of Health and devolved Administrations, with support from the Ministry of Defence, are undertaking community mental health pilots for veterans at six NHS trusts across the UK in Staffordshire and Shropshire, Camden and Islington, Cardiff, Bishop Auckland, Cornwall and Edinburgh. These arrangements aim to make it easier for veterans with concerns about their mental health to seek and access help. The pilots, which will be evaluated later this year, provide key input into planning future provision across the NHS, including how a dedicated PTSD treatment service within the NHS might best be configured.
	Ex-service personnel can also access the Medical Assessment Programme (MAP) which is available to veterans who were deployed on operations since 1982. MAP offers comprehensive physical and mental health assessments who feel that their ill-health may be linked to military service. Veterans are also designated as a special interest group (SIG) in the Department of Health's Improving Access to Psychological Therapies (IAPT) Programme.

Defence Storage and Distribution Agency

Tony Baldry: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what plans he has for the future  (a) role and  (b) structure of the Defence Storage Distribution Agency; and if he will make a statement.

Peter Luff: The Treasury-led Operational Efficiency Programme made a number of recommendations regarding increased outsourcing of the work of the Defence Storage and Distribution Agency, subject to Value for Money considerations. The Ministry of Defence is currently considering, in consultation with the trade unions, how these recommendations could be delivered. Once this work is complete, I will make a further announcement.

South China Sea

Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what British naval assets are deployed in the South China Sea.

Peter Luff: There are no British naval assets deployed in the South China sea.

Trident

Michael Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what plans he has to include the renewal of Trident in the Strategic Security and Defence Review.

Liam Fox: We will maintain Britain's nuclear deterrent, and have agreed the renewal of Trident should be scrutinised to ensure value for money.

Trident

Michael Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether he plans to examine the value for money of the proposal to renew Trident.

Liam Fox: Yes.

TRANSPORT

A1079: Accidents

Greg Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many people were  (a) killed and  (b) injured in traffic accidents on the A1079 in each of the last five years; and if he will make a statement.

Michael Penning: The information requested is given in the following table:
	
		
			  Casualties in reported personal injury road accidents A1079: 2004-08 
			   Casualties 
			   Killed  Injured  Total 
			 2004 5 198 203 
			 2005 11 184 195 
			 2006 2 154 156 
			 2007 0 182 182 
			 2008 5 168 173

Departmental Official Cars

Tom Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many Government  (a) cars and  (b) drivers are allocated to Ministers in his Department.

Michael Penning: The current interim arrangements for the Department for Transport are  (a) one car and  (b) one driver allocated to departmental Ministers. This is supplemented by the use of pool cars as needed.
	The new Ministerial Code, published on 21 May 2010, contains changes that affect ministerial entitlement to travel by Government car. It states that:
	"the number of Ministers with allocated cars and drivers will be kept to a minimum, taking into account security and other relevant considerations. Other Ministers will be entitled to use cars from the Government Car Service Pool as needed".
	The Department for Transport and its Government Car and Despatch Agency are working with Departments to effect the transition to the new arrangements.
	The Ministerial Code, published on 21 May 2010, is available on the Cabinet Office website.

M1: Nottinghamshire

Greg Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he expects the road works between junctions 28 and 25 of the M1 motorway to be completed.

Michael Penning: The new additional lanes on the M1 between junction 25 and junction 28 were opened to traffic on 21 May 2010.
	Some work on the project has still to be completed and this is scheduled to be completed by autumn 2011. The Highways Agency plan to carry out as much of this work as possible at night time and without daytime lane or speed restrictions.

Railways: Finance

John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment has been made of the impact of planned reductions in his Department's funding of rail in 2010-11.

Philip Hammond: My Department has agreed to contribute a total of £683 million to the £6 billion of in-year budget reductions sought in the emergency budget.
	As part of this Network Rail has indicated that, subject to the consent of the Office of Rail Regulation, it will reduce its requirement for Government funding by £100 million.
	I am clear that similar efficiencies can be driven from the large organisations to which the Department for Transport makes grants, such at Network Rail, as can be found by the Department.

Railways: Greater London

Frank Dobson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will place in the Library a copy of each technical and financial assessment of alternative London termini for High Speed 2.

Philip Hammond: The "Route Engineering Study" published by HS2 Ltd. alongside its report of 11 March contains the detailed analysis of London termini options. Further information about how HS2 Ltd. appraised and sifted these options is contained in its report, "High Speed Rail-London to the West Midlands and Beyond".

Railways: Greater London

Frank Dobson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the most recent estimated cost is of construction of the proposed tunnel for High Speed 2 from Old Oak to Euston.

Philip Hammond: The estimated base construction cost, excluding risk, of the link between the Crossrail Interchange station at Old Oak Common and Euston, including the cost of the tunnel, is £457,983,408. Further detail can be found in the "HS2 Cost and Risk Model" (appendix C-section 8/02) prepared by HS2 Ltd. and published on 11 March. Copies of this report are available in the House Library and at
	www.dft.gov.uk/highspeedrail

Railways: Northamptonshire

Andrea Leadsom: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he plans to publish the compensation arrangements to apply to homeowners in South Northamptonshire constituency adversely affected following the announcement of the High Speed Two route preferred by the previous administration; and when he expects such compensation to be paid to homeowners who can demonstrate genuine hardship.

Philip Hammond: I refer my hon. Friend to the High Speed Rail written ministerial statement of 27 May 2010,  Official Report, columns 15-16WS, on the Exceptional Hardship Scheme.
	If the Government decide to bring in a scheme it will seek to introduce it, assess cases and, where necessary, issue compensation as quickly as possible, but the precise timing is subject to the nature of the responses to the consultation. Those most affected by the proposed line will also be eligible for statutory blight compensation at the point that a final decision on the route has been taken.

Tyne and Wear Metro

David Anderson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much funding he plans to allocate to Nexus for the purposes of the Tyne and Wear Metro reinvigoration programme.

Norman Baker: On 17 May 2010 the Chancellor and Chief Secretary asked all Departments to re-examine spending approvals by the previous Government since 1 January this year. This includes the funding of £350 million for Tyne and Wear Metro Reinvigoration that was approved in February 2010. This work will be carried out as quickly as possible.

ENVIRONMENT FOOD AND RURAL AFFAIRS

Bovine Tuberculosis: Disease Control

Kerry McCarthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what her policy is on badger culling; and if she will make a statement.

James Paice: The Government have committed that as part of a package of measures, we will introduce a carefully-managed and science-led policy of badger control in areas with high and persistent levels of bovine TB.
	We need to consider all the issues carefully, including the scientific evidence, to work out the detail of the package to ensure we get it right. We will be looking at vaccine and culling options as part of that package.

Coastal Erosion

Therese Coffey: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will review the effectiveness of the Government's policies in preventing coastal erosion; if she will visit the Suffolk Coastal area to examine the likely impact of current policy proposals; and if she will make a statement.

Richard Benyon: We are currently working through the detail of the policies set out in the coalition agreement and other issues in the DEFRA portfolio, which include flooding and coastal erosion risk management. We will keep the DEFRA website updated as work progresses.
	Planning of ministerial visits is under way and an early visit to the coast, including Suffolk, is being considered as part of this. I am keen to use such a visit to learn more about existing approaches to managing coastal erosion risk and to hear ideas about innovative community-led approaches.

Departmental Public Expenditure

Tom Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when and in what form she plans to publish a list of all items of expenditure by her Department over £25,000.

Richard Benyon: It is planned that this information will be published quarterly on the following dates on the DEFRA website.
	
		
			  Period  Date of expected publication 
			 November 2009 - March 2010 Data being extracted now and to be included in the mid July publication. 
			 April 2010 - June 2010 Mid July 2010 
			 July 2010 - September 2010 Mid October 2010 
			 October 2010 - December 2010 Mid January 2011 
			 January 2011 - March 2011 Mid April 2011

Farmers: Suicide

Roger Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment she has made of the reasons for changes in the rate of farmer suicide in the last 12 years; how many such suicides there were in each month in each such year; and if she will make a statement.

James Paice: We have made no assessment of the reasons for changes in the rate of farmer suicide, or of the specific monthly figures. However, the Office of National Statistics provides us with proportional mortality ratio (PMR). These data are presented as one of the Sustainable Farming and Food Strategy indicators. PMRs should be interpreted with care because the proportion of deaths from the cause of interest is affected by the relative frequency of other causes of death.
	The following data compare the rate of suicides for farmers and farm workers aged between 20 and 74 years with that for the rest of the working population in England and Wales. The results are expressed as a proportional mortality ratio where the suicide rate for all workers is expressed as 100. Slight classification changes mean that data from 2001 cannot be directly compared with previous years.
	
		
			   Farmers  Farm workers  All workers = 100 
			 1996 153 134 100 
			 1997 215 132 100 
			 1998 228 81 100 
			 1999 254 118 100 
			 2000 224 156 100 
			 2001 237 94 100 
			 2002 207 98 100 
			 2003 239 126 100 
			 2004 234 143 100 
			 2005 177 111 100 
			 2006 245 115 100 
			 2007 218 103 100 
			 2008 238 152 100 
			  Source: ONS 
		
	
	Between 1996 and 2008:
	The proportional mortality ratio (PMR) for farmers varied between 153 and 254 and for farm workers between 81 and 156.
	The figures show that the proportion of deaths from suicide relative to other causes of death since 1996 for both farmers and farm workers is generally slightly higher than for all workers.
	The figures vary from year to year with no overall trend.

Land Drainage

Graham Stuart: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs which pumping stations primarily fulfil land drainage functions; and how many acres of farmland are served by such pumping stations.

Richard Benyon: DEFRA does not hold comprehensive information on individual pumping stations.

Land Drainage

Graham Stuart: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what funding her Department makes available for the replacement of pumping stations which primarily fulfil land drainage functions.

Richard Benyon: DEFRA provides capital grant in aid to the Environment Agency for flood and coastal risk management and land drainage schemes.
	Capital grant paid in 2009-10 for land drainage pumping stations was £4 million.

Supermarkets: Competition

Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will discuss with the National Farmers' Union her plans for an ombudsman to enforce the Grocery Supply Chain Code of Practice; and if she will make a statement.

James Paice: The coalition programme for Government, published on 18 May, makes a commitment to introduce an Ombudsman, in the Office of Fair Trading, to enforce the Grocery Supply Code of Practice and curb abuses of power which undermine our farmers and act against the long-term interest of consumers.
	I have discussed this with the National Farmers' Union and with other interested bodies.

HOME DEPARTMENT

Anti-Semitism

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps  (a) she has taken since her appointment and  (b) plans to take in the next six months to protect the Jewish community from anti-Semitic attacks; and if she will make a statement.

James Brokenshire: The Government abhor all forms of hate crime. I look forward to meeting with representatives of all faith groups, including representatives of the Jewish community such as the Community Security Trust, in order that we can begin a dialogue on the issue.

Asylum

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many applications for asylum  (a) were received in 2009 and  (b) have been received in 2010 to date; and from which countries.

Damian Green: A breakdown of asylum applications by nationality for 2009 can be found in Table C of the supplementary excel tables of the Control of Immigration: Quarterly Statistical Summary United Kingdom Fourth Quarter 2009.
	A similar breakdown for the first quarter of 2010 can be found in Table 2a of the supplementary excel tables of the First Quarter 2010 edition of the same statistical summary.
	Information on asylum applications is published quarterly in the Control of Immigration: Quarterly Statistical Summary United Kingdom which is available from the Library of the House and from the Home Office Research, Development and Statistics Directorate website at:
	http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/immigration-asylum-stats.html

Detection Rates: Essex

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the crime detection rate for Essex police force was in each of the last two years for which figures are available; whether she plans to meet the Chief Constable of that police force to discuss detection rates; and if she will make a statement.

James Brokenshire: From 1 April 2007 the rules governing recording of non-sanction detections were revised to reduce the scope within which they can be claimed to a very limited set of circumstances. For this reason the preferred method of presenting detections data is to use sanction detections. The sanction detection rate for all offences detected in Essex was 32% in 2007-08 and 35% in 2008-09.
	Detection rates are a ratio of crimes detected in a period to crimes recorded in a period. They are not based on tracking whether individual crimes recorded in a period have eventually been detected.
	The Home Secretary will be undertaking a series of visits across the United Kingdom in the coming months where she will meet police and other partners to learn more about how crime is being tackled in their areas.

Independent Police Complaints Commission: Pay

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many officials in each civil service pay band in the Independent Police Complaints Commission were eligible for  (a) performance and  (b) special bonuses in each of the last three years; how many people received each type of bonus; what the average payment was for each type of bonus; what the maximum payment was for each type of bonus; whether she plans to bring forward proposals to regulate such bonuses; and if she will make a statement.

Nick Herbert: The Home Office does not hold this information. The issue of remuneration for staff of the Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) is a matter for that organisation, in line with HM Treasury guidance. The IPCC will write to the hon. Member about the information sought.

Knives: Crime

Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if she will meet the founder of www.knifecrimes.org to discuss knife crime.

Nick Herbert: We are committed to tackling knife crime and serious youth violence. I look forward to meeting and engaging key stakeholders over the coming months including Ann Oakes-Odger.

Knives: Crime

Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department for what reason the It Doesn't Have to Happen.Co.UK programme on knife crime was removed from her Department's website; and if she will make a statement.

James Brokenshire: In line with Cabinet Office guidance all previous content was removed from Home Office corporate websites following the change of administration. All removed content was transferred to the National Archive website.
	While content on the Home Office website is being rebuilt the website refers users to the National Archive version of the Home Office site for content and guidance as it stood immediately pre-election. The It Doesn't Have to Happen anti-knife crime campaign website can therefore still be accessed via:
	http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/20100413151441/http://www.crimereduction.homeoffice.gov.uk/stopknifecrime/

Mephedrone

Andrew Stephenson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps she plans to take to reduce the supply of mephedrone following the introduction of the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 (Amendment) Order 2010.

James Brokenshire: Following the control of mephedrone and other cathinone derivatives under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 on 16 April 2010, the Association of Chief Police Officers has issued detailed advice and guidance to all forces regarding the changes to the law. Police officers are visiting 'head shops' to ensure substances which may now be controlled are not being offered for sale. Police action on seizures includes prosecution where there is evidence of possession with intent to supply.
	Border force officials are enforcing import controls, and have so far seized and destroyed consignments of mephedrone detected at the border to reduce the supply of the drug entering the UK. The Serious Organised Crime Agency is also actively developing approaches to identify websites offering mephedrone for sale, both at home and abroad, so they can take action at an international level to close these down.

Police

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether she plans to take steps to increase the level of public accountability of police constables; and if she will make a statement.

Nick Herbert: The Government are committed to replacing bureaucratic accountability with democratic accountability. We will introduce directly-elected individuals to replace police authorities and hold the Chief Constable to account on behalf of the public. We will also ensure that police officers attend regular beat meetings with their communities and enhance local crime mapping so that communities have the information to hold the police to account.

Rape

Kerry McCarthy: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what estimate she has made of the number of unreported incidents of rape in the last 12 months; and what recent research her Department has commissioned on the issue.

James Brokenshire: According to the latest data available, the British Crime Survey 2007-08 shows that 89% of victims of serious sexual assault did not report this to the police. It is not possible to break this down into specific types of sexual assault as this data is not collated.
	Data for 2010-11 will be published by the British Crime Survey in January 2011.

Rape

Kerry McCarthy: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent evidence her Department has  (a) commissioned and  (b) evaluated on (i) the number of reported rapes where a false allegation of rape was or may have been made which did not result in (A) a prosecution and (B) a conviction and (ii) the comparative rate of (1) false allegations of rape and (2) reported rapes.

James Brokenshire: Statistical information held centrally by the Ministry of Justice on rape cases on the Court Proceedings Database for England and Wales does not identify the circumstances of the offence. Therefore it is not possible to separately identify those cases resulting in court proceedings that have arisen solely from persons making false accusations.
	The Home Office and Government Equalities Office jointly commissioned Baroness Stern in 2009 to investigate how rape complaints are handled by public authorities in England and Wales. As part of the report, Baroness Stern reviewed evidence of false allegations and recommended that research be undertaken to establish their frequency. This can be accessed at:
	http://www.equalities.gov.uk/PDF/Stern_Review_acc_FINAL.pdf

Special Constables: Recruitment

Andrew Percy: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many special constable applications are awaiting processing in each police authority area.

Nick Herbert: This information is not held centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

Work Permits

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many work permits under the Seasonal Agricultural Workers Scheme  (a) have been allocated and  (b) are planned to be allocated to each (i) county and (ii) region in 2010.

Damian Green: Work permits are no longer in use and were replaced in November 2008 by Tier 2 of the Points Based System.

JUSTICE

Departmental Public Expenditure

Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what mechanism was used to calculate the £325 million in-year reduction in his Department's budget; which of his Department's programmes will be affected; and by how much in each case.

Kenneth Clarke: Over the past three weeks the Ministry of Justice directors general and their staff have reviewed all current spending plans in line with priorities. Each area of the Department is contributing to the delivery of these savings (including arm's length bodies). These savings will be achieved by reducing discretionary spend, reducing capital and IT spend and stopping or deferring planned change programmes. When identifying these savings we have sought to ensure that they will not adversely affect services.
	We will be in a position to announce full details of the savings plans at the time of the Budget on 22 June 2010.

Departmental Public Expenditure

Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice 
	(1)  how the £325 million reduction in his Department's budget announced by the Chief Secretary to the Treasury is to be implemented; and if he will publish revised allocations for  (a) the National Offender Management Service,  (b) the Probation Service and  (c) each probation trust;
	(2)  whether the £325 million in-year budget reductions announced by the Chief Secretary to the Treasury will be met by a reduction in the Probation Service budget;
	(3)  what estimate he has made of the number of additional prison places required as a result of an increase in the short-sentenced prison population following a reduction of £325 million in the Probation Service budget; and what estimate he has made of the cost of such provision per place assuming  (a) no recourse to Operation Safeguard and  (b) the activation of Operation Safeguard;
	(4)  how many jobs will be redundant as a result of the £325 million of in-year budget reductions by  (a) his Department's corporate centre,  (b) the National Offender Management Service and  (c) probation trusts; and what estimate he has made of the monetary cost to his Department of such redundancies.

Kenneth Clarke: Over the past three weeks the Ministry of Justice director generals and their staff have reviewed all current spending plans in line with priorities. Each area of the Department is contributing to the delivery of these savings (including arm's length bodies). When identifying these savings we have sought to ensure that they will not adversely affect services.
	As with the rest of the Department, savings for National Offender Management Service (including probations services and probation trusts) will be achieved by reducing discretionary spend, reducing capital and IT spend and stopping or deferring planned change programmes.
	On 28 May I announced that we would not be pursuing plans to build a new 360 place juvenile prison on the site of HMYOI Glen Parva. A cheaper, equivalent number of adult prison places will instead be provided on existing prison sites in a move that reflects the falling population of juveniles in custody.
	Further details of the specific budget implications of these savings are still being finalised. Once this has been completed (at the time of the Budget) I will make further announcements of the implications of this on specific budgets.

Electoral Register

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how much funding was provided to local authorities for the purposes of electoral registration in the latest period for which figures are available; and how much of that funding was spent.

Bob Neill: I have been asked to reply.
	Government funding for electoral registration is provided mainly through formula grant, which comprises Revenue Support Grant and redistributed business rates which this Department pays on behalf of Government as a whole. This is an unhypothecated block grant and councils are free to spend it on any service provided that they meet their statutory duties. For this reason, and due to the method of calculating formula grant, particularly floor damping, it is not possible to say how much grant has been allocated for any particular service.
	Net current expenditure on the 'registration of electors' by local authorities in England was £67.6 million in 2008-09.
	 Source:
	Revenue Outturn Statistics 2008-09

Electoral Register

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice if he will consider the merits of collating information on  (a) the sums spent by local authorities on electoral registration,  (b) the number of staff employed by local authorities on electoral registration and  (c) the local authorities with the (i) best and (ii) worst performance in electoral registration.

Mark Harper: I have been asked to reply.
	The Electoral Commission has informed me that they will be publishing their report into the cost of electoral administration covering the 2007-08 and 2008-09 financial years in early June 2010. It will contain the information referred to at  (a), (b) and  (c), and the findings are to be published shortly. The information will be placed on the Commission's website when it is published.
	Information on performance by electoral registration officers is collected by the Electoral Commission as part of their work on monitoring performance standards. Their second Report on Performance Standards for Electoral Registration Officers in Great Britain was published in March 2010.

Pleural Plaques: Compensation

Rachel Reeves: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice whether  (a) those affected by asbestos poisoning,  (b) those affected by pleural plaques and  (c) the families of people affected by those conditions will receive compensation under the compensation scheme recently announced by his Department; and when he expects compensation payments under that scheme to begin.

Jonathan Djanogly: The extra-statutory payments scheme will provide one-off payments to individuals who had begun, but not resolved, a legal claim for compensation for pleural plaques at the time of the House of Lords 2007 judgment. We hope that the extra-statutory scheme will be in a position to start accepting claims from the end of June 2010. The compensation will not extend more widely and people who have suffered actionable and compensatable damage as a result of exposure to asbestos are able to bring a claim for compensation under the civil law.

Prisons: Education

George Hollingbery: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what account is taken of the offences for which those prisoners applying for computing training courses have been convicted in determining the outcome of their applications.

Crispin Blunt: Decisions on the training courses that prisoners attend, including computing training and higher education, are made in prisons by Prison Service staff based on individual prisoner assessments. These will take into account both rehabilitation requirements as well as risk assessments that take into account previous offending and current behaviour. Some courses will not be appropriate because of the prisoner's previous offences while others will be inappropriate because they would lead to a vocational qualification that the prisoner would be unable to use. Prisoner's access to computers is tightly controlled and underpinned by rigorous IT security measures.

FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

China: Human Rights

Tony Baldry: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what the outcome was of the recent formal meeting between the UK and China on human rights; and if he will make a statement.

Jeremy Browne: The latest round of the UK/China Human Rights Dialogue took place on 18 March in Beijing. The UK side raised a series of important issues including freedom of expression and the rule of law. The agenda also included discussion of the role and regulation of lawyers in human rights protection and co-operation with international human rights mechanisms. The UK side expressed concern over the human rights situation in Tibet. Before the dialogue a list of individual cases of concern was handed over. The Chinese are yet to respond on any of the cases.

Government Hospitality: Wines

Tom Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs at which events held between 11 May and 25 May 2010 wine from the Government wine cellar was served.

Henry Bellingham: Government Hospitality managed one function during the period 11 May to 25 May 2010 at which wine from the Government Hospitality wine cellar was used. It was a dinner for the British-American Business Council on 13 May 2010.

Iran: Nuclear Power

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what his most recent assessment is of the state of development of Iran's nuclear programme; and if he will make a statement.

Alistair Burt: The Director-General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) will issue his report on Iran on 7 June. Iran has shown no sign of suspending its enrichment programme as required by numerous UN Security Council Resolutions, and continues to stockpile enriched uranium. Iran has also announced its intention to build more enrichment plants and has started enriching uranium to 20 per cent. a significant step towards weapons grade enrichment, despite having no credible civilian purpose for the fuel. We continue to share the IAEA's concerns about the possible existence in Iran of activities related to the development of a nuclear payload for a missile. The UN Security Council is currently considering a new sanctions resolution in order to urge Iran to cooperate fully with the IAEA.

Iran: Sanctions

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps he plans to take at the United Nations in the next six months on allegations of  (a) arming of and  (b) funding of Hamas by Iran; and if he will make a statement.

Alistair Burt: The situation in the middle east is discussed regularly by the UN Security Council on a monthly basis. The UK will push for the full implementation of UNSCR 1860 which aims to prevent the illicit trafficking of arms into Gaza. We will give our full support to the UN Sanctions Committee in pursuing and investigating sanctions violations.

Israel: UN Resolutions

Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make it his policy to bring pressure on Israel to comply with all relevant UN resolutions.

Alistair Burt: The situation in the Middle East is discussed by the UN Security Council on a monthly basis. The UK will continue to urge Israel to ensure full implementation of all relevant UN resolutions.

Middle East

Iain Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he plans to visit the Middle East; and if he will make a statement.

Alistair Burt: My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary and I both look forward to visiting the region in due course. We are not able to provide further details for security reasons.

Nuclear Non-proliferation Treaty

Jeremy Corbyn: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what the UK's objectives are for the outcome of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty Review Conference in New York in May 2010.

Alistair Burt: I am delighted that we achieved our objective of a politically-binding action plan to strengthen the Treaty's three pillars. We pushed hard for success: on 26 May 2010 my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary made public the maximum number of nuclear warheads the UK holds and announced a review of our declaratory policy. I attended the Conference to meet delegations to help promote a positive outcome. This conference was an important milestone in our long-term vision for a world without nuclear weapons.

South China Sea

Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what the position of the Government is on the ownership of the Spratlys, the Macclesfield Bank and the Scarborough Shoal in the South China Sea.

Jeremy Browne: The status of disputed territory in the South China Sea is an issue for the countries disputing sovereignty to resolve. We welcome regional confidence building measures and commitments to find a peaceful resolution.

Yemen: Human Rights

Tom Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent assessment he has made of the human rights situation in Yemen.

Alistair Burt: The Government have a number of concerns about human rights in Yemen. These include aspects of the judicial system, arbitrary detention, capital punishment and freedom of expression including the diminishing freedom of expression of the Yemeni media.
	We are also concerned about ensuring the protection of civilians in situations of armed conflict.
	The annual Foreign and Commonwealth Office Human Rights Report for 2009 highlighted our ongoing concern about early marriage in Yemen and the failure of the Yemeni Parliament to ratify and implement legislation declaring a minimum marriage age for girls.
	The UN Periodic Review of Yemen (May 2009) highlighted the areas of judicial reform, corporal and capital punishment, women's rights, and torture and mistreatment of detainees.
	As internal conflict has increased in Yemen in recent years, these issues have become more urgent.
	The Government feel strongly that human rights are universal and all governments must adhere to their international obligations.
	Our ambassador in Yemen and Government officials in London regularly raise human rights issues with the Yemeni Government. We also raise human rights through multilateral forums such as the EU and UN. In addition, all of our capacity building programmes in country build human rights awareness and development into the work.

ENERGY AND CLIMATE CHANGE

Departmental Electronic Equipment

Tom Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how many  (a) plasma and  (b) LCD televisions there are in Ministerial offices in his Department.

Gregory Barker: There are no plasma televisions in ministerial offices. There are two LCD televisions in each Minister's office.

Departmental Manpower

Tom Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how many full-time equivalent staff at each Civil Service grade are employed in the private office of each Minister in his Department.

Gregory Barker: The Department of Energy and Climate change employs 19.5 full-time equivalent staff in the private offices of the Secretary of State, Ministers of State and Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, at the following grades:
	
		
			   Number 
			 Senior Civil Service PB1 1 
			 Grade 6 1 
			 Grade 7 3 
			 HEO 8 
			 EO 4 
			 AO 2.5

Departmental Manpower

David Anderson: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what his estimate is of the cost to the public purse of proposed reductions in numbers of non-frontline staff in his Department and its agencies.

Gregory Barker: The Department has made no estimate of any such costs.

Departmental Official Cars

Tom Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how many Government  (a) cars and  (b) drivers are allocated to Ministers in his Department.

Gregory Barker: The current interim arrangements for the Department of Energy and Climate Change are  (a) four cars and  (b) four drivers allocated to departmental Ministers. This is supplemented by the use of pool cars as needed.
	The new Ministerial Code, published on 21 May 2010, contains changes that affect ministerial entitlement to travel by Government car. It states that:
	"the number of Ministers with allocated cars and drivers will be kept to a minimum, taking into account security and other relevant considerations. Other Ministers will be entitled to use cars from the Government Car Service Pool as needed".
	The Department for Transport and its Government Car and Despatch Agency are working with Departments to effect the transition to the new arrangements.
	The Ministerial Code, published on 21 May 2010, is available on the Cabinet Office website.

Industrial Diseases: Compensation

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how many claims for  (a) vibration white finger and  (b) chronic obstructive pulmonary disease have been settled in (i) Bassetlaw, (ii) Leigh, (iii) Doncaster North, (iv) South Shields and (v) Morley and Outwood constituency; and how many such claims in each such constituency were settled by each firm of solicitors.  [Official Report, 9 June 2010, Vol. 511, c. 1-6MC.]

Charles Hendry: The number of claims for vibration white finger (VWF) and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease that have been settled in Bassetlaw, Leigh, Doncaster North, South Shields and Morley and Rothwell constituencies settled by each firm of solicitors is shown in the following tables as at 23 May 2010:
	The Department is unable to provide data for Morley and Outwood as this is a new constituency and the Department does not have a breakdown of these figures.
	
		
			  Headline figures as at 23 May 2010 
			  Constituency  Number of settled claims-VWF 
			 Bassetlaw 5,197 
			 Leigh 705 
			 Doncaster North 3,878 
			 South Shields 1,186 
			 Morley and Rothwell 280 
			 Total 11,246 
		
	
	
		
			  Constituency  Number of settled claims-COPD 
			 Bassetlaw 8,951 
			 Leigh 4,956 
			 Doncaster North 9,632 
			 South Shields 3,016 
			 Morley and Rothwell 1,563 
			 Total 28,118 
		
	
	
		
			  V WF claims settled 
			  Constituency  Claimant's representatives  Office  Number of settled claims 
			 Morley and Rothwell Beresfords Solicitors Doncaster 14 
			 Morley and Rothwell Branton Bridge Manchester 1 
			 Morley and Rothwell BSG Solicitors London 1 
			 Morley and Rothwell Corries York York 4 
			 Morley and Rothwell Emsleys Solicitors Castleford 1 
			 Morley and Rothwell Farleys Solicitors Burnley 4 
			 Morley and Rothwell Foys Solicitors Worksop 1 
			 Morley and Rothwell Gorman Hamilton Solicitors Newcastle upon Tyne 1 
			 Morley and Rothwell Gorvin Smith Fort Solicitors Stockport 1 
			 Morley and Rothwell Green Williamson Wakefield 1 
			 Morley and Rothwell Hamers Solicitors Hull 1 
			 Morley and Rothwell Hartley and Worstenholme Solicitors Pontefract 1 
			 Morley and Rothwell Hartley and Worstenholme Solicitors Castleford 1 
			 Morley and Rothwell Hugh James Cardiff 2 
			 Morley and Rothwell Ibbotson Brady Solicitors Leeds 1 
			 Morley and Rothwell Irwin Mitchell Solicitors Sheffield 28 
			 Morley and Rothwell Keeble Hawson Doncaster 1 
			 Morley and Rothwell Keeble Hawson Moorhouse Sheffield 5 
			 Morley and Rothwell Marrons Solicitors Newcastle upon Tyne 1 
			 Morley and Rothwell Meloy Whittle Robinson Preston 5 
			 Morley and Rothwell Morrish and Co. Solicitors Leeds 4 
			 Morley and Rothwell Mortons Solicitors Sunderland 1 
			 Morley and Rothwell Moxons  1 
			 Morley and Rothwell On Legal Solicitors Halifax 2 
			 Morley and Rothwell Oxley and Coward Solicitors Rotherham 1 
			 Morley and Rothwell Pannone and Partners Solicitors Manchester 2 
			 Morley and Rothwell Raleys Solicitors Barnsley 91 
			 Morley and Rothwell Robinson King Solicitors-ceased trading Stockport 1 
			 Morley and Rothwell Russell Jones and Walker Solicitors Sheffield 1 
			 Morley and Rothwell Saffmans Solicitors Leeds 12 
			 Morley and Rothwell Shaw and Co. Solicitors Doncaster 2 
			 Morley and Rothwell The Smith Partnership Derby 1 
			 Morley and Rothwell Thompsons Solicitors Manchester 2 
			 Morley and Rothwell Thompsons Solicitors Newcastle upon Tyne 5 
			 Morley and Rothwell Thornleys Huddersfield 1 
			 Morley and Rothwell TLW Solicitors North Shields 6 
			 Morley and Rothwell Towells Solicitors Wakefield 67 
			 Morley and Rothwell Wake Smith and Tofields Solicitors Sheffield 1 
			 Morley and Rothwell Watson Burton LLP Newcastle upon Tyne 4 
			 Total   280 
		
	
	
		
			  COPD claims settled 
			  Constituency  Claimant's representatives  Office  Number of settled claims 
			 Morley and Rothwell 1 Legal Solicitors Swansea 6 
			 Morley and Rothwell Armitage and Guest Wakefield 1 
			 Morley and Rothwell Ashton Morton Slack LLP Sheffield 2 
			 Morley and Rothwell Atteys Retford 1 
			 Morley and Rothwell Atteys Rotherham 6 
			 Morley and Rothwell Avalon Solicitors (ceased trading) Warrington 74 
			 Morley and Rothwell Barber and Co. Liverpool 73 
			 Morley and Rothwell Beaumont Legal Wakefield 2 
			 Morley and Rothwell Beresfords Solicitors Doncaster 452 
			 Morley and Rothwell BHP LAW Belmont 1 
			 Morley and Rothwell Birchall Blackburn Preston 18 
			 Morley and Rothwell Branton Bridge Manchester 1 
			 Morley and Rothwell BRM Solicitors Chesterfield 12 
			 Morley and Rothwell Browell Smith and Co. Newcastle upon Tyne 2 
			 Morley and Rothwell Canter Levin and Berg Solicitors St Helens 1 
			 Morley and Rothwell Catteralls Wakefield 1 
			 Morley and Rothwell Collings Solicitors Altrincham 2 
			 Morley and Rothwell Corries York York 23 
			 Morley and Rothwell Delta Legal Manchester 39 
			 Morley and Rothwell DMH Stallard Brighton 4 
			 Morley and Rothwell Donald Race and Newton Solicitors Burnley 1 
			 Morley and Rothwell Elliot Mather Solicitors Chesterfield 1 
			 Morley and Rothwell Emsleys Solicitors Castleford 7 
			 Morley and Rothwell Farleys Solicitors Burnley 3 
			 Morley and Rothwell Foys Solicitors Worksop 1 
			 Morley and Rothwell Gorman Hamilton Solicitors Newcastle upon Tyne 9 
			 Morley and Rothwell Gorvin Smith Fort Solicitors Stockport 4 
			 Morley and Rothwell Green Williamson Wakefield 1 
			 Morley and Rothwell Hartley and Worstenholme Solicitors Castleford 2 
			 Morley and Rothwell Hilary Meredith Solicitors Wilmslow 19 
			 Morley and Rothwell Holmes and Hills Solicitors Great Dunmow 1 
			 Morley and Rothwell Housemans Solicitors Newcastle upon Tyne 1 
			 Morley and Rothwell Hugh James Respiratory Disease Department 46 
			 Morley and Rothwell Ibbotson Brady Solicitors Leeds 5 
			 Morley and Rothwell Ingrams Solicitors Hull 27 
			 Morley and Rothwell Irwin Mitchell Solicitors Newcastle upon Tyne 1 
			 Morley and Rothwell Irwin Mitchell Solicitors Sheffield 39 
			 Morley and Rothwell J M Skinner Solicitors Birkenhead 3 
			 Morley and Rothwell Keeble Hawson Doncaster 1 
			 Morley and Rothwell Keeble Hawson Moorhouse Sheffield 11 
			 Morley and Rothwell Kidd and Spoor Harper Solicitors Newcastle upon Tyne 2 
			 Morley and Rothwell Kingslegal Cardiff 1 
			 Morley and Rothwell Levi and Co. Leeds 1 
			 Morley and Rothwell Lloyd Green Solicitors Chelmsford 1 
			 Morley and Rothwell Manners Pimblett Solicitors Cheshire 1 
			 Morley and Rothwell Mark Gilbert Morse Newcastle upon Tyne 48 
			 Morley and Rothwell Matrons Solicitors Newcastle upon Tyne 3 
			 Morley and Rothwell Maurice Smith and Co. Solicitors Castleford 1 
			 Morley and Rothwell Meloy Whittle Robinson Preston 9 
			 Morley and Rothwell Morrish and Co. Solicitors Leeds 3 
			 Morley and Rothwell Mortons Solicitors Sunderland 2 
			 Morley and Rothwell Nelson and Co. Solicitors Leeds 3 
			 Morley and Rothwell On Legal Solicitors Halifax 2 
			 Morley and Rothwell Onyems and Partners Essex 11 
			 Morley and Rothwell Oxley and Coward Solicitors Rotherham 1 
			 Morley and Rothwell Pannone and Partners Solicitors Manchester 4 
			 Morley and Rothwell Proddow and Mackay Solicitors Sheffield 24 
			 Morley and Rothwell Raleys Solicitors Barnsley 307 
			 Morley and Rothwell Randell Lloyd Jenkins and Martin Llanelli 2 
			 Morley and Rothwell Recompense Ltd. Totnes 10 
			 Morley and Rothwell Robinson King Solicitors (ceased trading) Stockport 1 
			 Morley and Rothwell Ryan Carlisle Thomas Lawyers Victoria 2 
			 Morley and Rothwell Saffmans Solicitors Leeds 20 
			 Morley and Rothwell Shaw and Co. Solicitors Doncaster 5 
			 Morley and Rothwell Silverbeck Rymer Solicitors Brunswick Street, Liverpool 1 
			 Morley and Rothwell Simpson Millar Solicitors Leeds 3 
			 Morley and Rothwell Thompsons Solicitors Manchester 3 
			 Morley and Rothwell Thompsons Solicitors Newcastle upon Tyne 18 
			 Morley and Rothwell Thornleys Huddersfield 1 
			 Morley and Rothwell TLW Solicitors North Shields 38 
			 Morley and Rothwell Towells Solicitors Wakefield 94 
			 Morley and Rothwell Twigg Farnell Solicitors (ceased trading) Rotherham 1 
			 Morley and Rothwell Union of Democratic Mineworkers Mansfield 16 
			 Morley and Rothwell Watson Burton LLP Newcastle upon Tyne 19 
			 Morley and Rothwell Wheelers Solicitors Ash Vale 1 
			 Total   1,563

WORK AND PENSIONS

Children: Maintenance

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many Child Support Agency applicants in Bassetlaw were waiting for arrears payments on the latest date for which figures are available.

Maria Miller: The Child Maintenance and Enforcement Commission is responsible for the child maintenance system. I have asked the Child Maintenance Commissioner to write to the hon. Member with the information requested and I have seen the response.
	 Letter from Stephen Geraghty:
	In reply to your recent Parliamentary Question about the Child Maintenance and Enforcement Commission, the Secretary of State promised a substantive reply from the Child Maintenance Commissioner.
	You asked the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many Child Support Agency applicants in Bassetlaw were waiting for arrears payments on the latest date for which figures are available.
	The table below shows the number of cases with arrears in Bassetlaw Local Authority has continued to fall in the last four years. It also shows the amount of arrears collected in each financial year from 2006/07 to 2009/10. As of March 2010, there were 800 cases with outstanding arrears. This is compared with 940 cases in March 2007. The Child Support Agency collected £225,100 in arrears in Bassetlaw Local Authority last year and £820,900 over the last four years.
	
		
			  Number of cases with outstanding arrears in Bassetlaw Local Authority 
			  Month  Cases  Arrears collected (£) 
			 March 2010 800 225,100 
			 March 2009 830 217,700 
			 March 2008 890 246,800 
			 March 2007 940 131,300 
			  Notes: 1. Cases are the number of cases by parent with care geography which have outstanding arrears at the end of the month shown. This is rounded to the nearest 10. 2. Arrears Collected shows the amount of arrears collected by non resident parent geography during the year to the month shown. This is rounded to the nearest £100. 
		
	
	I hope you find this answer helpful.

Departmental Carbon Emissions

Helen Goodman: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what steps his Department plans to take to reduce its carbon emissions by 10 per cent. in 2010-11.

Chris Grayling: The Department for Work and Pensions already has a range of measures planned to reduce carbon emissions and improve energy efficiency over the coming year, which will also provide ongoing financial savings. These include the installation of a combined heat and power unit in Quarry House, Leeds, saving £93,000 and 428 tonnes of CO2 per year, and the launch of a joint energy campaign (AWaRE-Avoid Waste and Reduce Energy) with estates partners Telereal Trillium.
	A full range of activities is included within our Carbon Reduction Delivery Plan and already in work. These include:
	Further audits of buildings to identify site specific energy saving 'spend-to-save' initiatives.
	Challenging DWP businesses to seek out local opportunities to reduce energy consumption.
	Introducing volunteer 'Energy Wardens' across DWP sites to help promote and encourage energy efficient behaviours from staff.
	Working with the Carbon Trust to identify potential funding schemes for long payback low-carbon initiatives such as solar, wind, biomass etc; and also to undertake a detailed study on the use of LED lighting in Jobcentre Plus public areas and across all offices.
	Looking at the potential to use feed-in tariffs to incentivise on-site generation.
	Working with the Building Research Establishment to identify best in class 'end-of-life' plant and equipment replacements.
	Building carbon efficiency into IT strategies and ongoing management.
	Building the case for flexible working into the Estate Strategy and also making low-carbon location choices.

Jobcentre Plus: Translation Services

Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how much was spent on translation facilities for benefits claimants in the most recent year for which figures are available.

Chris Grayling: The most recent figures available are for 2008-09 when under the previous Government £4,380,993 was spent on translation services.
	The Department procures its translation services from providers. We are working with providers to streamline the services we receive, as well as collaborating in a cross-Government initiative to link up services across Departments. These steps will lead to greater efficiency and lower costs.

CULTURE MEDIA AND SPORT

Advertising: Abortion

Michael Fallon: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport if he will review the operation of the regulations governing the advertisement of abortion services on television; and if he will make a statement.

Edward Vaizey: Broadcast advertising is strictly controlled by the Advertising Standards Authority working in a co-regulatory partnership with Ofcom. This regulatory regime is independent of Government and sets the standards for all television advertising. Under existing rules non-commercial providers of post-conception advice services are permitted to advertise on television in the UK. However, the body responsible for writing and maintaining the broadcast advertising code, the Broadcast Committee of Advertising Practice, recently consulted on possible changes to the rules in this area. We understand that the regulators will make a statement on this subject later this year.
	If, in exceptional circumstances, the Secretary of State was persuaded that the rules in this area were not strong enough there are, ultimately, powers under the Communications Act to direct Ofcom on the descriptions of advertisements that should not be included in programme services.

Advertising: Abortion

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what representations he has received from  (a) members of the public,  (b) hon. Members and  (c) Members of the House of Lords against television advertisements for abortion services since 15 May 2010; and if he will make a statement.

Edward Vaizey: At 26 May, 603 pieces of electronic correspondence have been received from members of the public about television advertisements for post-conception advice services. Five pieces of correspondence on the same subject have been received from MPs, and none has been received from Members of the House of Lords. Of the total received, 607 representations oppose the advert.
	Broadcast advertising is strictly controlled by the Advertising Standards Authority
	working in a co-regulatory partnership with Ofcom. This regulatory regime is independent of Government and sets the standards for all television advertising. Under existing rules non-commercial providers of post-conception advice services are permitted to advertise on television in the UK.
	If, in exceptional circumstances, the Secretary of State was persuaded that the rules in this area were not strong enough there are, ultimately, powers under the Communications Act to direct Ofcom on the descriptions of advertisements that should not be included in programme services.

BBC

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what meetings  (a) he has had with the BBC since his appointment and  (b) plans to have in the next two months; what the agenda was of each such meeting; who attended each such meeting; if he will place in the Library a copy of the minutes of each such meeting; and if he will make a statement.

Edward Vaizey: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State has not yet met with the BBC Trust in his role as Secretary of State but will do so in the coming weeks as part of a number of introductory meetings with key partners across the Department's sectors.
	No formal agenda has yet been set for such meetings.
	Any such meetings will be private; a copy of any minutes will not be placed in the House Libraries.

BBC

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what account he plans to take of the BBC's undertakings to ensure the  (a) making of efficiency savings and  (b) prevention of inflation of staff and talent costs in determining the future level of the BBC licence fee; and if he will make a statement.

Edward Vaizey: All relevant factors will be taken into account in setting the level of the television licence fee in future.

BBC

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport when he next plans to meet  (a) the Chairman of the BBC Trust and  (b) the Director General of the BBC; and if he will make a statement.

Edward Vaizey: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State is meeting a number of key stakeholders, including the BBC, in the coming weeks.

Departmental Manpower

Tom Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport how many full-time equivalent staff at each Civil Service grade are employed in the private office of each Minister in his Department.

Hugh Robertson: This Department currently employs 14 full-time equivalent staff to support the Ministers. The number of full-time equivalents, by grade, in the private office of each Minister is shown in the table:
	
		
			  Office  Civil Service Grades  Total 
			   Executive Officer  Higher/Senior Executive Officer  Grade 7  Grade 6  Senior Civil Servant Pay Band 1  
			 Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport 1 2 - 1 1 5 
			 Minister for Culture, Communication and Creative Industries 2 - 1 - - 3 
			 Minister for Sport and the Olympics 2 - 1 - - 3 
			 Minister for Tourism and Heritage 2 1 - - - 3 
			  - - - - - 14

Departmental Official Cars

Tom Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport how many Government  (a) cars and  (b) drivers are allocated to Ministers in his Department.

Hugh Robertson: This Department has no cars or drivers allocated to Ministers.
	The new ministerial code, published on 21 May 2010, contains changes that affect ministerial entitlement to travel by Government car. It states that
	"the number of Ministers with allocated cars and drivers will be kept to a minimum, taking into account security and other relevant considerations. Other Ministers will be entitled to use cars from the Government Car Service Pool as needed".
	The Department for Transport and its Government Car and Despatch Agency are working with departments to effect the transition to the new arrangements.
	The ministerial code, published on 21 May 2010, is available on the Cabinet Office website.

Departmental Public Expenditure

Tom Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport when and in what form he plans to publish a list of all items of expenditure by his Department over £25,000.

Hugh Robertson: We are currently formulating the processes and timings for when the list of items of expenditure by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport over £25,000 will be published. Details will be published on our website in due course.

Listed Buildings

Andrew George: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport when he expects to announce the future listings and protected status of  (a) buildings,  (b) monuments,  (c) harbours and  (d) other structures.

John Penrose: Decisions on a small number of listing applications have been delayed during the election period. We aim to make decisions on these as soon as possible. Over 30 cases have been decided in the last two weeks.

TREASURY

Civil Servants: East Midlands

Christopher Leslie: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he plans to relocate civil service employees or Government agencies to  (a) Nottingham and  (b) the East Midlands; and if he will make a statement.

Danny Alexander: There are currently no plans held centrally by the Chancellor's departments to relocate civil service employees or Government agencies to (a) Nottingham and (b) the East Midlands. I will not be making a statement on this matter.

Credit Unions

Bob Russell: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what his policy is in respect of credit unions; and if he will make a statement.

Mark Hoban: This Government recognise the role that credit unions have in our society. We have announced that we will bring forward detailed proposals to foster diversity, promote mutuals and create a more competitive banking industry.

Mutual Societies

Bob Russell: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of the merits of  (a) banks and  (b) building societies having mutual status.

Mark Hoban: Banks and Building societies with mutual status both have an important role in the UK's financial sector. We will bring forward proposals to foster diversity, promote mutuals and create a more competitive banking industry.

Revenue and Customs: Finance

Kevan Jones: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what savings Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs is expected to make  (a) nationally and  (b) in the North East in each of the next three years.

David Gauke: The Government's spending plans, including those for HM Revenue and Customs, will be set out in the spending review.

COMMUNITIES AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT

Affordable Housing: Construction

Andrew George: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what plans he has to devolve planning powers to local authorities to ensure local need for affordable housing is met.

Bob Neill: Planning Policy Statement 3 (Housing) sets out the current planning requirements of local planning authorities to provide for affordable housing to meet local needs. We have committed, in the Coalition Government document 'The Coalition: our programme for government', to radically reforming the planning system to give neighbourhoods far more ability to determine the shape of the places in which their inhabitants live, based on the principles set out in the Conservative party publication 'Open Source Planning'. We have also committed, in the Coalition Government document, to publish and present to Parliament a simple and consolidated national planning framework covering all forms of development and setting out national economic, environmental and social priorities. We will provide the details of how we intend to do this shortly.

Council Housing Finance Review

Julian Huppert: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what plans he has for the future of the Housing Revenue Account Review.

Andrew Stunell: We are committed to resolving this long-standing issue and will look closely at responses to the consultation 'Council housing: a real future' which closes on 6 July.

Council Housing: Construction

Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what estimate he has made of the number of local authority homes which will be built in  (a) 2010-11 and  (b) each of the next four financial years; and if he will make a statement.

Andrew Stunell: The Department does not make estimates of the number of new local authority homes (council houses) that will be constructed in future years. However the Department is currently supporting a number of local authorities to deliver new homes through a dedicated funding programme. Work on over 2,000 houses has already begun and will complete over this financial year and the next.

Council Tax: Religious Buildings

Michael Fallon: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many private houses are classified as exempt from council tax as houses of prayer.

Bob Neill: There is no exemption from council tax for private dwellings used for prayer.

Departmental Electronic Equipment

Tom Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many  (a) plasma and  (b) LCD televisions there are in ministerial offices in his Department.

Bob Neill: The number of televisions has not changed since the General Election. There are six LCD televisions in ministerial offices in Communities and Local Government.

Departmental Manpower

David Anderson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what his estimate is of the cost to the public purse of proposed reductions in numbers of non-frontline staff in his Department and its agencies.

Bob Neill: Communities and Local Government is implementing an external recruitment freeze in line with the rest of Government. The recruitment freeze has no direct or underlying costs to the public purse.

Departmental NDPBs

Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what savings each non-departmental public body for which his Department is responsible will be expected to make in each of the three years consequent on the announcement made by the Chief Secretary to the Treasury on 24 May 2010.

Bob Neill: Communities and Local Government's contribution to the Chief Secretary to the Treasury's announcement of £6.2 billion savings in 2010-11 has been announced as £780 million. This includes £50 million savings this year from back office functions and arms length bodies' running costs. Revised budgets for arms length bodies for 2010-11 will be published at the time of the Budget. The full Spending Review in the autumn will determine budgets for future years.

Departmental Public Expenditure

Iain Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what estimate he has made of the cost to his Department of the  (a) implementation of penalty clauses and payments in its contracts and  (b) potential legal action arising from the deferral and cancellation of contracts and projects under his Department's plans to achieve cost savings; and whether those estimates are included in the total cost savings to be achieved by his Department.

Bob Neill: The Department has estimated that there will not be any additional costs arising from the deferral or cancellation of any contracts and projects.

Durham County Council: Cost-effectiveness

Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what contribution Durham County Council is expected to make to the target of £230 million efficiency savings to be made by local government.

Bob Neill: It will be for individual local authorities to make decisions about where savings are found. To ensure that councils have maximum flexibility to deliver efficiencies and focus their budgets on the services that their residents value most, the Government have retained Formula Grant funding at the level approved by Parliament for 2010-11 (£29 billion). It has also lifted restrictions on how local government spends its money by de-ringfencing £1.7 billion of central Government revenue and capital grants in 2010-11.

Fire Services

Paul Maynard: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what plans he has for the future of regional fire control rooms; and if he will make a statement.

Kerry McCarthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what plans he has for the future of the South West Regional Fire Control Centre; and if he will make a statement.

Bob Neill: The FiReControl project has been subject to delays and increasing costs.
	We are looking closely at this project to establish what we can do to improve the situation. We are committed to ensuring value-for-money for the taxpayer, improving resilience and stopping the forced regionalisation of the fire service.

Government Offices for the Regions

Andrew George: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what plans he has for the Government Office in each region of England.

Bob Neill: We announced in 'The Coalition: Our Programme for Government' that we will abolish the Government office for London and consider the case for abolishing the remaining Government offices. Accordingly, the future of the remaining Government offices will be considered as part of the spending review.

Home Information Packs

Tony Baldry: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what timetable he has set for ending the home information pack scheme; and if he will make a statement.

Andrew Stunell: We plan to bring forward measures to abolish the home information pack (HIP) as part of legislation to devolve greater powers to councils and neighbourhoods and give local communities control over housing and planning decisions. Our aim is to introduce legislation later in the parliamentary session and achieve Royal Assent as soon as parliamentary time allows.
	However, to prevent uncertainty and remove unnecessary bureaucracy and cost for sellers, we decided to act swiftly to suspend HIPs from 21 May. Sellers are still required to commission, but not necessarily to have received, an Energy Performance Certificate before they put their home on the market for sale.

Housing

Iain Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what plans he has for the future of the  (a) Tenant Services Authority,  (b) Homes and Communities Agency and  (c) Housing Market Renewal programme; and if he will make a statement.

Bob Neill: The Government are committed to reducing the number and cost of quangos and has set out plans to achieve this. The role of all CLG quangos is being examined closely, but no final decisions have been made about the future of the Tenant Services Authority and the Homes and Communities Agency.
	The Housing Market Renewal programme was included with the savings announced by the Chancellor on 24 May, reducing the 2010-11 capital programme budget announced in December 2009 by up to £50 million. This reduction is subject to consultation. The budget review process has still to be concluded and as a result the final decision on individual allocations has still to be taken.

Housing: Construction

Tony Baldry: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government whether he plans to amend Planning Policy Statement 3; and if he will make a statement.

Bob Neill: We have committed, in the Coalition Government document 'The Coalition: our programme for government' to radically reforming the planning system to give neighbourhoods far more ability to determine the shape of the places in which their inhabitants live, based on the principles set out in the Conservative party publication 'Open Source Planning'. We have also committed, in the Coalition Government document, to publish and present to Parliament a simple and consolidated national planning framework covering all forms of development including areas covered by current Planning Policy Statements and setting out national economic, environmental and social priorities. We will provide the details of how we intend to do this shortly.

Housing: Construction

Andrew George: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what steps he is taking to ensure that locally set house building projections meet national assessments of housing need.

Bob Neill: We have committed, in the Coalition Government document 'The Coalition: our programme for government', that we would radically reform the planning system to give neighbourhoods far more ability to determine the shape of the places in which their inhabitants live, based on the principles set out in the Conservative party publication 'Open Source Planning'. In terms of planning the supply of housing, we have set out our intention in 'Open Source Planning' to abolish national and regional building targets and return decision-making powers on housing and planning to local councils. We will provide more details on our approach shortly.

Housing: Empty Property

Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what his policy is on returning empty houses to residential use.

Andrew Stunell: We are currently exploring a wide range of measures to bring empty homes back into use.

Listed Buildings

Andrew George: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what protections will be afforded to harbours which have grade  (a) 1,  (b) 2 star and  (c) 2 listed status in respect of major listed building consent applications.

Bob Neill: The listed building consent procedure ensures that all proposals to demolish a listed building, or to alter or extend it in a way that affects its special architectural or historic interest, are given due consideration by the decision-maker. Listed harbours are no different from other listed structures in that respect. In considering applications for consent the decision-maker has regard to the listing grade of the building concerned. Planning Policy Statement 5 (Planning for the Historic Environment) advises that loss affecting any designated heritage asset should require clear and convincing justification, and that substantial harm to or loss of designated heritage assets of the highest significance, including grade I or II* listed buildings, should be wholly exceptional.

Local Government Finance

Helen Goodman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what estimate he has made of the cost to  (a) Durham county council and  (b) all local authorities of publishing the details of each item of expenditure of £500 or more.

Bob Neill: No estimate has been made of either figure.

Local Government Finance

David Blunkett: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what reduction is expected in funding of the Working Neighbourhoods Fund in 2010-11 as a result of the announcement by the Chancellor of the Exchequer and Chief Secretary to the Treasury on 24 May; and if he will make a statement.

Bob Neill: Reducing the deficit and continuing to ensure economic recovery is the most urgent issue facing Britain.
	It is fair that local authorities make a contribution to the £6.2 billion of savings in 2010-11, to enable Government to take immediate action to tackle the UK's unprecedented deficit in this financial year.
	The Government will shortly provide local authorities with information on the revised allocations for specific grants including reductions in the area based grant. It will be for local authorities to make decisions about where savings are found.

Local Government Finance

David Blunkett: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what reduction is planned in area-based grant in 2010-11 as a result of the announcement made by the Chancellor of the Exchequer and Chief Secretary to the Treasury on 24 May; and if he will make a statement.

Bob Neill: As part of the recent exercise to identify £6.2 billion of savings, Departments are currently establishing how the savings committed will impact on their funding to local authorities. When this process is complete, CLG will announce the Government's detailed funding proposals to local authorities as they affect area based grant.

Local Government Finance

Christopher Leslie: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government with reference to the recent reductions in grant allocated to local authorities for 2010-11, whether authorities have the power to alter their council tax levels within this financial year to compensate; what assessment his Department has made of the likelihood of authorities undertaking such action; and if he will make a statement.

Bob Neill: Decisions about the level of council tax are a matter for individual local authorities. Once an authority has carried out its statutory responsibility of calculating its budget requirement and its basic amount of council tax for a financial year, legislation allows the authority to make substitute calculations-but in doing so the authority may not increase the level of either its budget requirement or its basic amount of council tax. The relevant provisions are section 37 (in relation to billing authorities) and section 49 (in relation to major precepting authorities) of the Local Government Finance Act 1992.
	This Department has made no assessment of the likelihood of authorities varying their council tax in this way. Like every other part of the public sector we believe local authorities can make significant efficiencies and, if necessary, reduce spending or reprioritise with no effect on council tax or frontline services.

Local Government Finance

David Blunkett: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government 
	(1)  what the detailed breakdown is of projects affected by the £1.16 billion reduction in funding for the local government grant settlement announced by the Chancellor of the Exchequer and the Chief Secretary to the Treasury on 24 May; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  which of the specific grants to local government to combat deprivation and unemployment funding will be affected by the proposals announced by the Chancellor of the Exchequer and the Chief Secretary to the Treasury on 24 May; and if he will make a statement.

Iain Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what individual grants to local authorities he plans to reduce under his Department's planned reduction in spending of £1.165 billion.

Bob Neill: An announcement on the specific grant streams that will reduce in 2010-11 will be made shortly.

Regional Planning and Development

Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what his policy is on regional spatial strategies; and if he will make a statement.

Bob Neill: We are absolutely committed to abolishing regional strategies and returning powers on housing and planning to local authorities and we have announced legislation in the Queen's Speech to do this. We are keen to move in advance of legislation and we are currently considering using existing powers to revoke regional strategies ahead of legislation. The Secretary of State has written to all local authority leaders to confirm this policy saying that in the interim he expects them to have regard to his letter as a material consideration in planning decisions. I have placed a copy of the letter in the Library of the House.

Social Rented Housing: Construction

Jeremy Corbyn: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what estimate he has made of the number of new local authority housing association dwellings to be constructed in each London borough in  (a) 2010,  (b) 2011 and  (c) 2012; and if he will make a statement.

Andrew Stunell: We do not make estimates of the number of new local authority and housing association dwellings that will be constructed in future years by local authority area.

Trade Unions

David Anderson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what plans he has to consult trade unions in  (a) his Department and  (b) its agencies on cost reduction plans.

Bob Neill: Full consultation with our trade unions will take place in accordance with the agreed protocols of the Department and its agencies.

Travellers: Caravan Sites

Michael Fallon: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what revisions he proposes to make to Circular 01/2006 on Travellers; and if he will make a statement.

Andrew Stunell: We have committed to producing a new National Planning Framework that will consolidate and streamline the Government's planning policies. No decision has yet been made on the extent to which the content of individual circulars will feature in that framework. Further announcements will be made in due course.

Wind Farms: Planning Permission

Andrea Leadsom: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what his policy is on local participation in planning decisions concerning wind farms; and if he will make a statement.

Bob Neill: We will radically reform the planning system to give neighbourhoods far more ability to determine the shape of the places in which their inhabitants live, based on the principles set out in the Conservative Party publication Open Source Planning. We will abolish the unelected Infrastructure Planning Commission and replace it with an efficient and democratically accountable system that provides a fast-track process for major infrastructure projects. We will publish and present to Parliament a simple and consolidated national planning framework covering all forms of development and setting out national economic, environmental and social priorities. To be successful it is vital to have broad public support and the consent of local communities. This includes giving communities not only a say, but also a stake, in appropriately-sited renewable energy projects like wind farms. We will therefore encourage community-owned renewable energy schemes where local people benefit from the power produced. We will also allow communities that host renewable energy projects to keep the additional business rates they generate.

PRIME MINISTER

Andy Coulson and Jonny Oates

Tom Watson: To ask the Prime Minister what the duties are of  (a) Mr Andy Coulson and  (b) Mr Jonny Oates.

David Cameron: Mr Andy Coulson is Director of Communications and Mr Jonny Oates is Deputy Director of Communications. Both are employed on special adviser terms.

Rupert Murdoch

Tom Watson: To ask the Prime Minister who attended his recent meeting with Rupert Murdoch; how many civil servants were at that meeting; for what reasons each civil servant was present; and what matters were discussed at the meeting.

David Cameron: As was the case with previous Governments, I and officials have meetings with a wide range of organisations and individuals on a range of subjects. Information on official meetings by Ministers with external organisations will be published in accordance with the Ministerial Code.

Whips: Pay

Tom Watson: To ask the Prime Minister 
	(1)  how many Government Whips (a) receive and  (b) do not receive a salary;
	(2)  which departmental Ministers are paid from the salary budget of the Government Whips' Office.

David Cameron: I refer the hon. Member to the press notice issued by my office on 19 May 2010. A copy is available on the No. 10 website at:
	http://www.number10.gov.uk/news/latest-news/2010/05/her-majestys-government-49840
	Copies have also been placed in the Library of the House.

HEALTH

Accident and Emergency Departments: Lancashire

Andrew Stephenson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will visit East Lancashire at the earliest opportunity to examine the provision of emergency care services.

Simon Burns: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State and his ministerial team plan to make a number of visits to national health service organisations over the coming months.
	The Government have committed to ensure that, in future, all NHS service changes must be led by clinicians and patients, not be driven from the top down. To this end, my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State has outlined new, strengthened criteria that he expects decisions on NHS service changes to meet.

Bassetlaw Primary Care Trust: Pay

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much funding his Department has allocated for the salary of the Chief Executive of Bassetlaw Primary Care Trust in each of the next four years.

Simon Burns: The Department makes no specific allocation for salaries. Chief executives in primary care trusts are covered by the 'Pay Framework for Very Senior Managers in Strategic and Special Health Authorities, Primary Care Trusts and Ambulance Trusts'.

Brain Injuries

Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what his policy is on the provision of assistance for those with acquired brain injuries in respect of  (a) early and accurate diagnosis,  (b) immediate treatment and  (c) on-going rehabilitation; and if he will make a statement.

Paul Burstow: The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence published guidelines for the triage, assessment, investigation and early management of head injuries in infants, children and adults in 2003. The guidelines contain recommendations about when it is appropriate to admit patients to hospital following a head injury, what level of care they should receive and correct protocols for transferring patients to specialist head/brain injury units.
	We recognise the need for specialised rehabilitation services for people recovering from head and brain injury. These can be provided locally, depending on the needs of the patient and the severity of the injury, and may involve collaboration between health, personal social services, further education and employment services.
	The National Service Framework for Long-term (Neurological) Conditions, published in 2005, focuses on improving health services for people with neurological conditions, including those with brain injuries.

Cancer: Drugs

Andrew Stephenson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has for the provision of additional funding for new cancer drugs.

Simon Burns: We plan to create a new cancer drug fund, from 2011, which will help patients get the drugs their doctors recommend. We will publish our plans for the new fund later in the year.

Dental Services: Hygiene

George Hollingbery: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether he plans to refer his Department's document on cross infection control, reference HTM 01-05, to the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence for the purpose of checking the  (a) evidence base and  (b) cost-benefit analysis contained in that document.

Simon Burns: The document HTM 01-05 contains departmental guidance on the decontamination of dental instruments. The evidence and measures within the document were scrutinised by a number of means in order to ensure validity and proportionality to the assessment of risks. Advice was taken from an expert working group, the Spongiform Encephalopathies Advisory Committee (SEAC) and the Advisory Committee on Decontamination Science and Technology (ACDST previously ESAC-Pr) who supported the general principle of the need to improve local decontamination within dentistry. In this light, we are not persuaded that there would be added benefit in referral to the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence.

General Practitioners: Malton

Simon Hughes: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what applications have been made for funding for improvement or replacement of the GP premises of Dr Carrie and Partners at Sherburn Surgery, 50 St Hilda's Street, Sherburn, Malton, North Yorkshire in the last five years; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  when the next opportunity is for  (a) consideration and  (b) approval of the development plans of the GP practice for Dr Carrie and Partners at Sherburn Surgery, 50 St Hilda's Street, Sherburn, Malton, North Yorkshire; and if he will make a statement.

Simon Burns: Primary care trusts (PCTs) are responsible for the commissioning of primary care services for patients in their area, including services provided by general practitioners (GPs).
	Arrangements for GPs to apply for funding to improve or replace their practice premises are matters arranged locally by PCTs. The hon. Member may therefore wish to contact Jayne Brown, chief executive of the North Yorkshire and York PCT for this information. The address for the PCT is:
	North Yorkshire and York PCT
	The Hamlet,
	Hornbeam Park,
	Harrogate,
	HG2 8RE.

Health Services: Learning Disabled

Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what his policy is on the provision of assistance for those with learning difficulties; and if he will make a statement.

Paul Burstow: This Government's commitment to supporting disabled and disadvantaged people-including those with learning difficulties and learning disabilities-is very clear. We have set out our intention to take decisive steps to accelerate the pace of reform so that all disabled people get the care they need and have more choice and control, ensuring that:
	services are personalised to individual needs, with personal budgets giving people choice and control over how their needs are met;
	preventative support is given to people when they most need it with health and social care working together to help people stay independent at home; and
	carers are helped to provide care and support for friends and family members.

Health Services: Mentally Ill

Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what his policy is on the provision of assistance for those with mental illness; and if he will make a statement.

Paul Burstow: As a new Government we have a large number of issues to tackle. The national health service will be backed with increased real resources yet we recognise that there are still efficiencies to be made, however, we intend to make sure front-line services in the NHS as a whole are protected from cuts.
	We will be assessing our priorities carefully and will announce details on mental health policy in due course.

Hormone Replacement Therapy: Fees and Charges

Gordon Henderson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment his Department has made of the practice of charging women twice for hormone replacement drugs when two different coloured tablets are packaged and dispensed in a single carton; and what his estimate is of the cost of this practice to the NHS in relation to patients who receive free prescriptions.

Simon Burns: The Department has made no such assessment, nor has it made any estimate of the cost of this practice.

Hospitals: Greater London

Jeremy Corbyn: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what plans he has to consult on future hospital configurations in the London North Central area; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  what plans he has for the future of the accident and emergency department of the Whittington Hospital.

Simon Burns: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State has outlined the criteria that decisions on national health service service changes must meet. Change must improve patient outcomes; consider patient choice; have support from GP commissioners; and be based on sound clinical evidence. Any major changes to services will require full public consultation. Local NHS organisations will need to make sure any plans for change have local support and meet these criteria.

Hospitals: Wynyard

Iain Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has for the future of the proposed new hospital at Wynyard in Hartlepool constituency; and if he will make a statement.

Simon Burns: As with all significant spending commitments made between 1 January 2010 and the election on 6 May, the proposed new hospital scheme at Wynyard for North Tees and Hartlepool NHS Foundation Trust will be subject to the Government's re-examination of such approvals to ensure they are consistent with the Government's priorities and good value for money.

Maidstone Hospital: Maternity Services

Helen Grant: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has for the reconfiguration of maternity services at Maidstone Hospital; and if he will make a statement.

Anne Milton: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Health is currently considering initial advice from the Independent Reconfiguration Panel following the referral made by the Kent County Council's Overview and Scrutiny Committee. A decision by the Secretary of State for Health will be made in due course.

NHS

Andrew George: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what future commissioning role primary care trusts will have following the implementation of measures in the Government's proposed Health Bill.

Simon Burns: The 'Coalition: our programme for government' document indicates the new role and functions envisaged for primary care trusts. We will bring forward more detailed proposals in due course.

NHS: Dismissal

Peter Bottomley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the reasons were for the dismissal of each consultant dismissed from each hospital trust since 2005; and from which NHS employer and on what dates employees have been dismissed for reasons related to data protection since 2005.

Simon Burns: The information requested concerning reasons for dismissal of consultants is not collected or held centrally by the Department. Performance of staff (including disciplinary issues) and any arising matters are monitored and managed by local national health service organisations. This includes any issues arising from breaches of the Data Protection Act. Reasons for dismissal are a matter that is dealt with by the local employer.

Prescriptions: Fees and Charges

Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the merits of ending prescription charges for adults with cystic fibrosis; and if he will make a statement.

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make it his policy to  (a) maintain and  (b) extend the programme of free prescriptions for people with long-term diseases.

Simon Burns: Decisions on any future changes to the system of prescription charges and exemptions in England would need to be taken in the context of the next spending review, which is due to report in the autumn. In the meantime, there are no plans to make any changes to the current list of conditions which are exempt from prescription charges.

BUSINESS, INNOVATION AND SKILLS

Building Colleges for the Future Programme

Iain Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many further education colleges he expects to be rebuilt or refurbished from the £50 million of Government funding allocated for that purpose.

John Hayes: The additional £50 million for college building projects will support further education institutions to offer the best facilities possible, bringing real benefits to learning and training. Many colleges will benefit from this resource, which will be focused at colleges that have yet to receive significant investment. Following the announcement of revised criteria we hope to invite colleges to apply to this fund shortly with a view to successful projects starting as soon as is practicable.

Concert Halls: Leeds

Rachel Reeves: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what grant he plans to allocate to the development of the Leeds Arena in 2010-11.

Mark Prisk: In December 2009, the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills gave Yorkshire Forward approval to spend up to £9.88 million from its budget on the project. It did not "allocate" funds to the project. Some £8.1 million has already been spent. Yorkshire Forward is not expecting to spend any more on the project during this current financial year.

Departmental Electronic Equipment

Tom Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many  (a) plasma and  (b) LCD televisions there are in Ministerial offices in his Department.

Edward Davey: There are no plasma screens. All Ministers bar one have currently only one LCD television in their office. One Minister inherited two LCD televisions from his predecessor and asked for the second television to be removed immediately on taking office.

Departmental NDPBs

Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how much is expected to be saved by each non-governmental organisation for which his Department is responsible in order to contribute to the £100 million reduction in expenditure set out by the Chief Secretary to the Treasury on 24 May 2010.

Edward Davey: The £100 million saving equates to approximately 11% of the overall running costs for the Department and we are expecting that saving to be applied across BIS and its partner organisations.

Higher Education: Student Numbers

Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what estimate he has made of the likely change in the number of students in universities in the North East between academic year  (a) 2009-10 and  (b) 2010-11.

David Willetts: The number of students in each institution will depend upon the recruitment decisions taken by individual institutions. However, we are making available funding for an additional 10,000 places in academic year 2010/11 which will be allocated by the Higher Education Funding Council for England.

Nissan: Finance

Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills if he will maintain the previous Government's commitment of a £20 million grant to Nissan to fund the development of fuel-efficient vehicles; and if he will make a statement.

Mark Prisk: The Chief Secretary has written to all Secretaries of State asking them to re-examine all spending approvals made since 1 January and re-examine all pilot schemes. This is due diligence by the Government of their inheritance. It is not a blanket cancellation of projects or pilots. Where projects or pilots are affordable, consistent with the Government's priorities and good value for money, they will go ahead.

One North East

Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what plans he has for the future of One North East; and if he will make a statement.

Mark Prisk: The Government set out their position on the future of Regional Developments Agencies (RDAs) in their programme for Government: "Freedom Fairness Responsibility". We will support the creation of Local Enterprise Partnerships to replace RDAs.

One North East

Iain Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what plans he has for the future of One NorthEast; and if he will make a statement.

Mark Prisk: The Government set out their position on the future of Regional Developments Agencies (RDAs) in their programme for Government: "Freedom Fairness Responsibility". We will support the creation of Local Enterprise Partnerships to replace RDAs and will publish the future of our plans in due course.

Post Offices: Bank Services

Michael Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what his policy is on the role of the Post Office in delivering bank services.

Edward Davey: We have been clear in "The Coalition: our programme for government" that we will ensure that post offices are allowed to offer a wide range of services in order to sustain the network, and will look at the case for developing new sources of revenue, such as the creation of a Post Office Bank.

Royal Mail: Pensions

Andrew George: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what his most recent estimate is of the size of the (a) current and  (b) (i) five and (ii) 10-year projected (A) surplus and (B) deficit of the Royal Mail pension scheme.

Edward Davey: The most recent reported actuarial valuation for the deficit was in 2006 and it gave a figure of £3.4 billion. The company and the pension trustees are currently working together to complete the ongoing March 2009 triennial plan valuation. This is scheduled to be finished by the end of June.
	Royal Mail has recently said that it estimates the current value of the deficit to be around £10 billion.

St George's Day

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills if he will consider the merits of introducing a national holiday for England on St George's Day.

Edward Davey: The Government regularly receive representations requesting additional bank holidays for a variety of reasons. The pattern of bank holidays is well established and accepted but we keep all of these suggestions under consideration.

Supermarkets: Competition

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what his policy is on the  (a) date of introduction of a supermarket ombudsman and  (b) powers the ombudsman should have in respect of suppliers in (i) the UK and (ii) developing countries.

Edward Davey: The coalition programme for Government, published on 18 May, makes a commitment to introduce an ombudsman, in the Office of Fair Trading, to enforce the Grocery Supply Code of Practice (GSCOP) and curb abuses of power which undermine our farmers and act against the long-term interest of consumers.
	We are currently carefully analysing some 60 responses offering a wide range of views on the consultation which ran from 5 February to 30 April. We want to ensure that this body is robust and effective and shall be looking to make further decisions on this measure as soon as practicable.

Supermarkets: Competition

Andrew George: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills 
	(1)  when he expects to announce his plans for the enforcement of the Grocery Supply Code of Practice regulation introduced by the Competition Commission on 4 February 2010;
	(2)  what assessment he has made of the results of the public consultation on the Government's proposal to establish a Supermarket Ombudsman.

Edward Davey: The coalition programme for Government, published on 18 May, makes a commitment to introduce an ombudsman, in the Office of Fair Trading, to enforce the Grocery Supply Code of Practice (GSCOP) and curb abuses of power which undermine our farmers and act against the long-term interest of consumers.
	We are currently carefully analysing some 60 responses offering a wide range of views on the consultation which ran from 5 February to 30 April. We want to ensure that this body is robust and effective and shall be looking to make further decisions on this measure as soon as practicable.

Vergo Retail

Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills if he will hold an inquiry into Vergo Retail Ltd.'s acquisition from the East of England Co-operative Society of the society's non-food trading activities in 2009 and its subsequent operation of the business.

Edward Davey: Vergo Retail Ltd. went into administration on 11 May 2010. In view of the reporting duties imposed on the joint administrators of the company the Department would not normally duplicate their work by carrying out separate inquiries. However, my officials will ask the joint administrators to inform them of any specific matters that come to their attention in relation to the company's affairs which might require further consideration by the Department.

LEADER OF THE HOUSE

Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority

David Winnick: To ask the Leader of the House 
	(1)  how many staff are employed by the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority; and when the organisation is expected to be fully staffed and functioning;
	(2)  what senior vacant posts are being advertised by the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority; and what the salary offered is in each case;
	(3)  what  (a) complaints and  (b) other representations have been made on the helpline of the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority; what categories of information (i) may and (ii) may not be provided by the helpline; and what plans there are for the helpline to provide more information to hon. Members and their staff;
	(4)  what the  (a) duties,  (b) salary and  (c) other remuneration is of (i) the Chair, (ii) the Chief Executive and (iii) each other official with a salary of over £50,000 of the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority;
	(5)  if the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority (IPSA) will make it its practice to provide assistance to staff of hon. Members whenever required in their dealings with IPSA; and if he will make a statement;
	(6)  if he will discuss with the Chair of the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority the development of administrative mechanisms which will ensure appropriate levels of authentication for all claims submitted by hon. Members without undue complexity; and if he will make a statement;
	(7)  if he will discuss with the Chair of the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority the reason for requiring hon. Members to produce a fresh contract of employment for a contracted employee working for one day a week in respect of additional duties undertaken in place of another employee of the same hon. Member who has taken leave; and if he will make a statement;

George Young: There is no ministerial responsibility for the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority.

EDUCATION

Building Schools for the Future Programme

Tony Baldry: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what plans he has to distribute funds allocated under the Building Schools for the Future programme in the last six months; what plans he has for the future of that programme; and if he will make a statement.

Julie Hilling: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what his plans are for continuation of the Building Schools for the Future project for  (a) Westhoughton High School and  (b) Smithills School; and whether funding for each project will be maintained at the previously planned level.

Phil Wilson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education whether Hurworth Comprehensive School remains a priority for funding under the Building Schools for the Future programme.

Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Education from which of his Department's budgets funding will be allocated for the  (a) capital and  (b) annual revenue costs of free schools.

Nick Gibb: The Department has not taken any decisions on Building Schools for the Future. Any future rollout decisions will be announced in due course.

Schools: Transport

David Blunkett: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what change there will be to his Department's funding towards school transport as a result of the announcement made by the Chancellor of the Exchequer and Chief Secretary to the Treasury on 24 May; and if he will make a statement.

Nick Gibb: The vast majority of funding for home to school transport is provided through revenue support grant (RSG) to local authorities which was protected as part of the Chancellor's and Chief Secretary's announcement about 10-11 savings on Monday 24 May. There are a small number of transport related grants within DFE area based grants totalling £39.76 million. As part of the DFE contribution to savings from local government the overall level of DFE area based grants are being reduced from £1.3 billion to £986 million. RSG has been protected at the level set by Parliament and £1.7 billion of central Government revenue and capital grants have been de-ring fenced, giving local authorities maximum flexibility to deliver efficiencies and focus their budgets on services their residents value most. This will ensure frontline services can be protected.

DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER

House of Lords

Helen Goodman: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what estimate he has made of the cost to the public purse of the creation of 100 additional peers; and what discussions he has had with the House of Lords authorities on the cost to the public purse of administration of the House of Lords consequent on the introduction of 100 additional peers.

Mark Harper: I have been asked to reply.
	The expenses which Members of the House of Lords are able to claim are published and are available at:
	http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/ld200809/ldpeers/ldpeers.pdf
	The cost of appointing new Members to the House of Lords will vary depending on what expenses they are entitled to, and may choose to claim, and on the provision of facilities and services provided by the House administration.

CABINET OFFICE

Public Sector: Low Pay

Michael Meacher: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many public sector workers are paid less than £7.20 an hour.

Francis Maude: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the Authority to reply.
	 Letter from Stephen Penneck, dated May 2010:
	As Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question requesting how many public sector workers are paid less than £7.20 an hour. (203)
	The Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings (ASHE) is carried out in April each year and is the most comprehensive source of earnings information in the United Kingdom. ASHE methodology cannot be used to provide estimates of the numbers of employees whose earnings is less than a specific amount, but can be used to provide estimates of percentage of employees in that category.
	Levels of earnings are estimated from ASHE and are provided for employees on adult rates of pay, whose pay for the survey period was not affected by absence. In April 2009, the latest period for which figures are available, the percentage of all UK public sector employees whose paid gross hourly earnings excluding overtime is less than £7.20 is 9.3 percent.

INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Afghanistan

Jim McGovern: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what recent assessment he has made of the outcomes of educational initiatives in Afghanistan supported by his Department.

Andrew Mitchell: The latest assessment shows that the number of children attending school grew to 5.2 million in 2009, up from one million in 2001. Over one-third of these children are girls.

Maternal Health

Nadine Dorries: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what recent assessment he has made of his Department's contribution to progress towards the millennium development goal in respect of maternal health.

Andrew Mitchell: The Department for International Development (DFID) conduct annual assessments of progress towards key Millennium Development Goal targets based on international data. These assessments concentrate on countries where UK development assistance is focused and where we expect to make the most impact.
	The latest assessment in 2009 found some progress on the maternal health Millennium Development Goal in Asia but that progress was lagging in sub-Saharan Africa. This assessment can be found in the DFID Autumn Performance Report (2009) which is available in the House Library.

Malawi

David Cairns: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs on international development aid to Malawi since his appointment; and if he will make a statement.

Andrew Mitchell: Department for International Development (DFID) and Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) Ministers have had several conversations on aid to Malawi since my appointment.
	DFID is one of Malawi's largest donors with an £80 million programme, supporting the Malawi Growth and Development Strategy, and focused on three areas: good Governance, Growth and Resilience, and Human Development.
	The Public Accounts Committee has said that UKaid has actively contributed to Malawi's development, including reducing hunger and building a better health service.

Nigeria

John Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development whether he has had recent discussions with the President of Nigeria on the provision by his Department of assistance to his country; and if he will make a statement.

Andrew Mitchell: I have not yet had the opportunity to meet President Jonathan. The British high commissioner and the head of DFID's office in Nigeria have met the President several times over the last two months to discuss his priorities and UK support. Nigeria is a hugely important country to the development of Africa. I will be reviewing our programme in Nigeria alongside other policy and country reviews which I have commissioned.